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ROGER
hOPE that once all the faults found, that we can return connaught to it's former glory

6 September 2010 at 7:48 am

 

It's sprung a leak, that's what's happened and it is being worked on to find the leak and fix it.




Roger

6 September 2010 at 6:01 am

 

Lack of money budget cuts etc thats what has happened.It will get worse before it gets better .

5 September 2010 at 10:31 pm

 

Rather sad to think that in July 08 we celebrated the 125th anniversary of Connaught Park with a day of bands, shows, displays, model boats, tree planting and so on. And here we are just two years later wondering what the heck has happened.

5 September 2010 at 10:02 pm

 

barry w-s
sooner the better

2 September 2010 at 6:48 pm

 

I saw the pond in Connaught Park first-hand today whilst walking Fifi, its all the more shocking when you see it in person, such a shame for it to get this bad. Let us hope that it will be sorted quickly.

2 September 2010 at 5:03 pm

 

Getting back to the caption top of page, connaught park could be such an attraction if handled well.

I hope things can be done to make it a nicer place to visit
it has the potential

2 September 2010 at 7:50 am

 

Don't know where you get your information lurchboy.

As soon as the Council (and councillors) were aware of the problem at Connaught Park, they were on to it.

The fish have been taken out, the leak is being looked for and remedial action decided.

It was decided last year that the Chamber of Commerce would "look after" the Town and businesses with Dover Business Support (sadly that died at the end of March), but it is supposed to be their responsibility - working with the Town and District Councils and any other bodies, to move the Town forward.

Our Councillor allowance after tax is about £75 or so a week. There is NO pension attached to being a Councillor - not at DDC.

I don't know where you get your information, maybe it's just a misguided view, but it is so far from the truth - it's scary to think that the majoity of the general public may have this view of us.




Roger

2 September 2010 at 6:14 am

 

Generous Family Howard .I looked after them when they went through University now they look after Mum .They realise the sacrifices I made .What are holidays ??Downsized my homeover the years No car etc .Twenty three years of service to the Comunity .I enjoy my hats .


1 September 2010 at 9:59 pm

 

not really accurate lurchio, they get an allowance of about 80 quid a week and doubt whether they get a pension.

having said that our susan never seems short of money when she needs a new titfer.

1 September 2010 at 8:47 pm

 

Sorry if this may sound a bit harsh, but this is the state that the Councillors see Dover, the people of Dover put their trust into these people, and this is what we have got. We have a cruse terminal port and all the visitors we could attract and try to keep in the town and this is what we offer. All the Councillors should be ashamed of them selves, but they still get paid and their pensions

1 September 2010 at 8:21 pm

 

if not the community payback scheme, how about a forum effort?

like in the old days of ian and his river watch.

1 September 2010 at 6:49 pm

 

iF i CAN HELP IN any way let me know

keith

1 September 2010 at 6:08 pm

 

I hope so too Keith.




Roger

1 September 2010 at 6:01 pm

 

ROGER
I had so many childood/adult good times at connaught
hope it gets back to its former glory

1 September 2010 at 7:53 am

 

Thank you Jules Wood for your idea and offer, it will be better that way then our port being sold off. England should unite in this common cause.

31 August 2010 at 8:43 pm

 

thanks ROGER

31 August 2010 at 6:44 pm

 

The authorities ae aware of it James and are working out what is the best remedy. I hope to have an answer quite soon, which I'll post on the Forum.



Roger

31 August 2010 at 5:58 pm

 

it is a shame that the Connaught park pond has been left to dry out, killing the fish and ruining what was a good feature. I remember heading along there when visiting my grandparents, marvelling at the fish, the plants and dipping my feet into the clean water.
Yet, as sadly seems the way of the modern world, my memories are left to fade away and be replaced by a dry husk, the remains of a former glory that can only give the slightest hint as to what the past used to be like. It's not like this was a long time ago, as I'm barely into my twenties.
If something has to be done, it looks as though it will have to come from the local community as a lack of public money means it won't get done otherwise.

31 August 2010 at 5:26 pm

 

Sam of Margate, my proposal has been and is that we should have a port-toll for each vehicle using British commercial ports, and that this toll be equal in all our ports. It would mean that people wouldn't avoid one port to use another, as the toll would be the same, hence would not affect the ferry operators. The revenues would be shared out among the various local Councils and the national Treasury.
It would be something equivalent to European motorway and tunnel tolls, which bring in billions of pounds (euros Swiss Francs...) a year to individual European countries.
This view is known on the Forum and has been published in the Dover Mercury.

31 August 2010 at 4:16 pm

 

Barry, I also have generations of Dovorian grandparents, and came to Dover from the Shires, Hampshire. No one in Dover that I know of has thumbed out a petition to be signed for a bonds or shares company, so where does your proposal come from? Not from Dover's people! You are speaking for yourself and may-be the odd person interested in buying bonds and having a 'share of the the cake'. It has nothing to do with the benefit of the local comunity, nor of Britain as a Nation.

31 August 2010 at 4:10 pm

 

looks like that bbc piece has really hit a chord.

thanks to sam and jules for your comments.

31 August 2010 at 2:13 pm

 

Our we going to really surrender the Port of Dover to the highest bidder? If this is the case; then 'NO SURRENDER!'.... This smacks of selling the family silver.

The highest bidder is not necessarily the right choice.

I would suggest that the people of Dover have the right to be given first refusal. But to sell it to 'SOLELY!'money making organisations without thought to work ethics or working values, is just money grabbing, and NOT! taking in Dovers need for jobs etc.. These people do not look back at the destruction they cause in their policies for making money at ANY! cost.

All alternative motifs needs to be scrutinised carefully.


31 August 2010 at 1:51 pm

 

Ditto me and a lot of others who are happy with a sale (to the right people whoever they may be_.....

31 August 2010 at 1:44 pm

 

Tom - it is a total fantasy that business/enterprises/land owned by the State is owned by us.

True public ownership is by purchasing shares in a company either directly or indirectly through mutual funds. The latter can be via your pension/ISAs/Unit Trusts or old fashioned insurance funds.

The State privatising enterprises is a win-win, we get proper public ownership through shares and the State get a payment to help reduce the level of government debt, something we all would otherwise end up paying for through sky-high interest and inflation.

Alexander - the people of Dover do not own the Port right now so whatever you say they have no veto over either this or the previous government selling the Port. Your idea of democracy is frankly nonsense.

Incidentally, as a Dover person born and bred (four generations!) I am enthusiastic about the selling of the Port as it has served the Town so badly in the past as a trust port. So please do not claim to speak for me.

Now if Charlie's plan goes ahead then we really would get local ownership of the Port and those of us that buy 'Dover Bonds' will have a say in what happens to it.

31 August 2010 at 1:39 pm

 

just this minute heard about the privatisation of The Port Of Dover..i'm a Northerner and i'm outraged!! so how the people of Dover feel i can only imagine. I would like to see all the people of England behind the Dover Community and i for one would happily stick my hand in my Yorkshire pocket to help out.

31 August 2010 at 1:27 pm

 

Dear Mr. Austin,
Dover's people have repeatedly signed petitions and made statements through many channels, both by way of individual politicians, representatives of legal organisations (Unions, whatever) and news-paper articles and letters, and much more, to say an almighty No to the port sell-off. As you may have gathered, all this Democracy is being trampled upon full stop!
Please, Tom, the people have said: No, so now you know exactly who to direct your disgust at, and know that many of us are thinking like you!
What can one say when Democracy is tied hands and feet and trampled upon?

31 August 2010 at 1:24 pm

 

Yes, silly me.
I forgot about the crazy habit of selling-reselling Britain's assets back to those who, in a ;true' Democracy, might regard themselves as being the owners all along.
I often see on this and that antique programme on TV people bring along an object that has been in the family a long time or has family significance who plump for selling them, often for small sums. Gone are the stories and connections with their own past to be replaced with a few moments of video of the very objects that could provide concrete evidence of a past being sold.
And all for what? The absence of threatening letters from their creditors, for the time being? Holiday snaps of the trip the sale afforded them?
Could it be that you cannot eat antiques? That objects from the past cannot keep you warm?
Why not sell your castle; as a going concern or for scrap? The better to provide for you and your children?
What a 'Big Society' we shall be, relying on the generosity of strangers to see us through the hard times.
What of the Dunkirk-Spirit, if the best we can do is abandon our assets to their fate?
A liberal con indeed.

31 August 2010 at 10:51 am

 

the figures being bandied about vary by massive amounts.

until we know the true amount then no credence can be given to the peoples port idea.

30 August 2010 at 5:35 pm

 

Tom, thanks for all that. The Port is ours and Britain's, but alas, 10 million pounds will not be enough to buy the port, I believe they are asking for anything from 300 million pounds up!
Anyway, I sent my representation to the last gov. and consider this sufficient. The representations are still legally valid.

30 August 2010 at 5:30 pm

 

Kathy, Wow!!!! I'm bowled over to hear from you and I will certainly get in touch with you very soon. Thank you for your lovely comments, you and your friends were a delight to look after, wish I could have cruised with you all. Glad to hear you had a great time...... until we meet again, I feel a Vegas trip comimg on!!!!!!

Thanks forumites for all your kind comments, shucks!!!!!!!!!

30 August 2010 at 12:50 pm

 

I gather from the statements above that profits are at present reinvested in the port and that the creation of shares will boost the capital used to improve the docks, to the benefit of Britain and the good people of Dover. Which all sounds wonderful.
I take it, too, that the required 10 million pounds will be hard to come by from the local area.
To my mind keeping the docks in local hands has tremendous benefits for the area and for Britain as a whole. Too much of our hard earned money finds it's way abroad through the sell-off of utilities as it is. It is high time that efforts were made to keep the income streams from our necessary assets onshore. Surely, those businesses in Britain who use the port of Dover could add cash to the pot to ensure that the proposed PDCT is successful.
The ports talk of ever increasing business in the near future is the same old hype that has brought this country to it's present sorry-pass. The priority should be that the port remains ours [or in this case more -yours]
I wish you all and CE well in your efforts to achieve this goal.

30 August 2010 at 12:42 pm

 

One of the best, if not thee best aeriel picture I`ve ever seen of Dover. Nice one Paul.

30 August 2010 at 12:07 pm

 

Good show Colette its always nice when they let you know they appreciate a good Dover welcome.

30 August 2010 at 8:29 am

 

Well done COLLETTE
Fantastic that as usual you did such a grand job for Dover.


30 August 2010 at 8:16 am

 

Well done Colette - a good Ambassador for Dover.

Thank you Kathy for letting us all know just how good she is - glad you enjoyed your stay in Dover.




Roger

30 August 2010 at 6:27 am

 

nice post kathy, colette is friendly and warm despite her aristocratic credentials.

just goes to show that the blue bloods are human like the rest of us.

29 August 2010 at 10:10 pm

 

I would like to Thank, Colette for being our transfer guide when I arrived in Dover August 18th...She was the friendliest, and nicest person....I just wanted her to know how much I appreciated everything she did for me....Thanks again Colette and if you are ever in Las Vegas don't forget to let me know...By the way we had a wonderful time on our cruise, hope you drop me a line sometime..Kathy Bender

29 August 2010 at 9:41 pm

 

no chance of that alexander, the whole port is one package and will be flogged of as such.

29 August 2010 at 6:13 pm

 

How's about considering the Eastern and Western Docks as to separate ports?! Eastern Docks should become an integral part of Dover, and revenues should come in, either as I proposed, to the Councils and State Treasury, or as Charlie Elphicke proposed, through a People's trust, albeit without leasing the port.
The Western Docks should also be an integral part of Dover, but being a separte port, its financial requirements to be built up should not forfeit Easten Docks in any way.
In this case, Dover could earn from Eastern Docks through incoming revenues without the Western port being a mill-stone dragging both ports under the sea!

29 August 2010 at 6:06 pm